Nursing Students' Perceptions on Healthcare-Associated Infection Control and Prevention Teaching and Learning Experience in Portugal.

Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are one of the major concerns worldwide, posing significant challenges to healthcare professionals' education and training. This study intended to measure nursing students' perceptions regarding their learning experiences on HAI prevention and control. In the first phase of the study, a cross-sectional and descriptive study with a convenience sample composed of undergraduate nursing students from Portugal, Spain, Poland, and Finland was conducted to develop the InovSafeCare questionnaire. In the second phase, we applied the InovSafeCare scale in a sample of nursing students from two Portuguese higher education institutions to explore which factors impact nursing students' adherence to HAI prevention and control measures in clinical settings. In phase one, the InovSafeCare questionnaire was applied to 1326 students internationally, with the instrument presenting adequate psychometric qualities with reliability results in 14 dimensions. During phase two, the findings supported that Portuguese nursing students' adherence to HAI prevention and control measures is influenced not only by the curricular offerings and resources available in academic settings, but also by the standards conveyed by nursing tutors during clinical placements. Our findings support the need for a dedicated curricular focus on HAI prevention and control learning, not only through specific classroom modules, innovative resources, and pedagogical approaches, but also through a complementary and coordinated liaison between teachers and tutors in academic and clinical settings.

Nursing Students' Perceptions on Healthcare-Associated Infection Control and Prevention Teaching and Learning Experience: Development and Validation of a Scale in Four European Countries.

Healthcare-associated infections are one of the major concerns worldwide. This study presents the development and the validation process of the InovSafeCare scale and aimed at identifying and measuring the ecosystem variables related to healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) prevention and control practices in European nurse students. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to (1) elaborate an item pool related to the educational environment, the healthcare setting environment, and the attitudes, beliefs, and performance of the nursing students regarding HCAI prevention and control and (2) analyze psychometric properties of the scale using factor analysis. The validated InovSafeCare scale was applied to undergraduate nursing students of five European Higher Education Institutions. The partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method with SMART-PLS3 software was used. The study sample consists of 657 nursing students, who responded a self-report inventory. From the analyzed data were identified 14 factors. The InovSafeCare scale reveals good validity and reliability of the dimensions in different European countries.

Journal club intervention in promoting evidence-based nursing: perceptions of nursing students.

This study focused on nursing journal clubs as an intervention in promoting evidence-based nursing. Nursing journal clubs refer to arranged meetings where nurses convene to discuss the use of research knowledge in nursing practice. Researchers and directors of a university hospital planned the intervention. The study aimed to assess learning and utilization of research knowledge after implementation of nursing journal clubs from the perspective of nursing students. In journal clubs, answers were sought from scientific nursing articles to solve nursing problems specified by each ward/outpatient unit. Nursing students paired up to make an oral presentation of a research article to staff nurses. After the presentation, they acted as chairpersons in the discussion. The students had a vocational nursing diploma and were aiming at bachelor's degree in nursing. After the final club meeting, the students (n = 53) responded to a questionnaire. The results indicated that the students were not able to utilize the studies to the same extent as they learnt from them. Age, work experience and participation in research and development activities were connected to learning. Despite limitations, the results may be used to develop nursing journal clubs as a learning and collaboration method between nurse education and health care.

A systematic model to compare nurses' optimal and actual competencies in the clinical setting.

AIM: This paper is a report of a study to develop a model to compare nurses' optimal and actual competencies in the clinical setting. BACKGROUND: Although future challenge is to focus the developmental and educational targets in health care, limited information is available on methods for how to predict optimal competencies. METHOD: A multidisciplinary group of 24 experts on perioperative care were recruited to this study. They anticipated the effects of future challenges on perioperative care and specified the level of optimal competencies by using the Nurse Competence Scale before and after group discussions. The expert group consensus discussions were held to achieve the highest possible agreement on the overall level of optimal competencies. Registered Nurses (n = 87) and their nurse managers from five different units conducted assessments of the actual level of nurse competence with the Nurse Competence Scale instrument. Data were collected in 2006-2007. RESULTS: Group consensus discussions solidified experts' anticipations about the optimal competence level. This optimal competence level was significantly higher than the nurses' self-reported actual or nurse managers' assessed level of actual competence. The study revealed some competence items that were seen as key challenges for future education of professional nursing practice. CONCLUSION: It is important that the multidisciplinary experts in a particular care context develop a share understanding of the future competency requirements of patient care. Combining optimal competence profiles to systematic competence assessments contribute to targeted continual learning and educational interventions.

Patient knowledge of atrial fibrillation: 3-month follow-up after an emergency room visit.

AIM: This paper is a report of a study to assess patient knowledge about atrial fibrillation, its determinants and evolution during 3 months after a visit to the emergency room. BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation is one of the most common single diagnoses in the emergency room, and care often results in treatment modifications after which most patients are discharged home. METHOD: A knowledge test was developed to measure patients' knowledge of atrial fibrillation. Patient data from 200 patients were assessed by examining quartiles and medians. The statistical significance of changes was tested with the Sign test. A logistic regression model was built to identify variables possibly related to patient knowledge. The data were collected in 2003 in three emergency rooms in Finland. RESULTS: Patients had only moderate knowledge about atrial fibrillation in the emergency room, and their knowledge showed only limited improvement 3 months after the visit. They had best knowledge of the symptoms of atrial fibrillation and its effects on everyday life. There were gaps in their knowledge about this disease and how it is treated, including anticoagulation, detection of symptoms and when to seek treatment, both during the emergency room visit and 3 months thereafter. Male gender, previous atrial fibrillation diagnosis and sense of good coping with the disease were statistically significantly associated with better knowledge. CONCLUSION: Informational support should be available for patients with atrial fibrillation during and after the emergency room visit. The knowledge test introduced in this paper could be developed to evaluate the educational needs of individual patients.

Quality of emergency room care for atrial fibrillation.

OBJECTIVES: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in emergency rooms (ER). We surveyed the clinical characteristics and quality of care of AF patients in three emergency rooms in Helsinki, Finland. DESIGN: Observational data of the treatment of 179 consecutive symptomatic AF patients were prospectively collected. The quality of care was analysed according to a predestined set of criteria. RESULTS: Mean age of the patients was 63 years and 61% were men. The leading symptom was palpitation (86%). Sinus rhythm was achieved in 70%. New anticoagulation was initiated in 20% and cardiovascular medication modified in 42% of patients. Considering the overall quality of care, including documentation in the patient chart, it was classified as good in 53% of all patients, whereas the quality of therapeutic decisions and planning for follow-up was good in 77%. CONCLUSIONS: The ER visit results in extensive treatment modifications in two of three patients. Although inadequate care is rare, maintaining good quality requires adherence to clinical guidelines, careful documentation and plans for follow-up.